What is an Unconference?
An unconference is a conference where what happens is organised by the delegates on the day. The event organisers have to arrange something, the main one being a venue, but the rest is down to the delegates. So all the hassle of talk submissions, review and scheduling is taken away.

Typically:

at the start of the day everyone gets up in turn and says who they are, what their interests are and what they’d like to do

based on this people write proposals on PostIt notes and stick these on a board

a moderator may read out the proposals in turn to gauge interest, and if sufficient the proposal will be put on a scheduling board

delegates may adjust the schedule to avoid clashes, etc.

Experience shows that the unconference format results in high quality sessions focussed on what delegates want.

How much will it cost me?
There is no charge to attend but donations (on the door) will be accepted to help fund the event. Everyone should be able to afford to come, and as it is a one-day event you will not need to incur accommodation costs, though several hotels are available for anyone who wishes to stay over.

Why attend?
There are lots of reasons to attend the FLOSS UK Unconference 2011, including:

Keep abreast with new/emerging technologies

Network with some of the people who are responsible for developing critical applications

Become part of the UK Open Source community – build up informal relationships that can be invaluable in problem solving